To promote the interpretation of Virginia history and access to its collections, the Virginia Historical Society, funded by a matching grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and gifts from individuals, offers fellowships of up to three weeks a year. For the purpose of this program, a week is defined as five days in the VHS library, which is open 10 to 5, Monday through Saturday.

There are three general categories of fellowships:

Andrew W. Mellon Research Fellowships cover the broad sweep of Virginia and American history, for example, supporting research on political, constitutional, religious, African American, military, and social issues.

The Betty Sams Christian Fellowships in business history cover studies in economic history, trade, industrial and commercial subjects, and labor relations.

The Frances Lewis Fellowships in Gender and Women's Studies support work in gender roles and the history of women.

(Please note that the selection committee will determine the category of the applicant's award.)

We confer fellowships on the basis of the applicants' scholarly qualifications, the merits of their proposals, and the appropriateness of their topics, as demonstrated by citation to specific sources in our collections. Applicants whose research promises to result in significant publication, including the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, will receive primary consideration.

Because the program is designed to help defray travel expenses, residents of the Richmond metropolitan area are not eligible for fellowships. We offer a few grants ($150 per week) for mileage to commuting researchers who live outside that area. The majority of fellowships ($500 per week) go to those who live farther away and incur greater expenses. We expect recipients to work on a regular basis in our reading room during the period of their fellowships. We welcome applications from doctoral candidates. Undergraduates, master's students, and graduate students not yet admitted to Ph.D. candidacy are not eligible.

In addition to fellowships, the VHS offers two research awards for which applications will be received throughout the calendar year while funding remains available:

The Guy Kinman Award is made possible by Diversity Richmond and supports work on such topics as LGBT studies, civil rights, and issues affecting minority communities.

The Reese Award in American Bibliography and the History of the Book in the Americas covers literary studies, the evolution of book publication, and bibliography.

Both the Guy Kinman and Reese awards ($500 per award) are open to residents of central Virginia as well as researchers who live beyond commuting distance. As with fellowships, recipients of awards are expected to conduct research in our reading room during the tenure of their grants. Both the Guy Kinman and Reese awards are open-ended: there is no deadline, and the award committee evaluates applications as they are received. For information about how to apply for a VHS research award, please visit our website, here: http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/how-we-can-help-your-research/researcher-resources/research-fellowship-and.

Founded in 1831, the VHS is a private, nonprofit, educational institution supported by membership dues and endowment. Its wealth of cataloged materials includes books, paintings, photographs, maps, broadsides, newspapers, artifacts, and more than eight million manuscripts.